Individual Development Plan

REIMAGINING PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT @ USC Stronger Trojans. Stronger Troy.

Individual Development Plan (IDP) for USC Staff (optional)

Please feel free to use this IDP template if you are not entering your responses directly into the Workday system.

A Workday Talent Management Tool

Ongoing development is key to improving performance and mastering the skills and competencies required to progress within your university role and career in general. An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a useful tool to assist in the planning process by providing an opportunity for you and/or your manager to reflect on your career aspirations and answer critical questions that will inform your exploration of career goals. IDPs can assist you in identifying both short and long-term professional development needs and career objectives.

Both managers and individual employees may choose to initiate an IDP. It is a complimentary tool to be used in conjunction with the performance review process, and it is optional.

Once you complete the IDP, you are encouraged to discuss the contents with your manager. At that time, you may identify more specific development goals that may help you reach your career aspirations. Development goals can be spread across multiple performance cycles. At a minimum, an IDP can serve as a valuable communication tool between you and your manager(s) and/or other mentors at USC.

To learn more about the IDP, please view this short video. You can also enroll in the Performance Management curriculum in Trojan Learn to learn more about the development process (Phase 2: DEVELOP).

Key Career Accomplishments (Tab)

In this section, you can capture your significant career accomplishments and milestones over a specified time period. If used over multiple performance cycles, you can build a comprehensive career summary of your accomplishments and overall career progression. You can also use it to identify new and refined career objectives. Remember to begin each milestone by documenting the date at the beginning of the description.

Examples:

1-15-14 Completed a 1-year project to create streamlined processes for all office operations. As lead for this project, I was able to develop more advanced project management and problem solving skills and competencies.

6-1-13 Completed a Bachelor’s degree.

12-1-13 Received an employee award for outstanding teamwork at my division staff meeting.

Key Career Accomplishments (Tab):

1. ______Date: ______

Comments: ______

2. ______Date: ______

Comments: ______

3. ______Date: ______

Comments: ______

Career Development Objectives (Tab):

Identify and describe 1-3 general career development objectives. These would be examples of broader career aspirations you have which may ultimately require you (with support from your manager) to create a number of more specific and focused development goals designed to help you build the knowledge, skills and abilities to move you toward that long-term career objective. These more specific development goals would likely occur over more than one performance cycle.

Examples:

Improve business writing skills.

Become a successful networker.

Develop a personal leadership philosophy and practice.

Career Development Objectives:

1. ______Date: ______

Comments: ______

2. ______Date: ______

Comments: ______

3. ______Date: ______

Comments: ______

Career Development Questions (Tab):

To be answered by the employee:

Use these questions to help you explore important role and career questions. Document key themes and information that you and your manager(s)/mentor(s) can use to guide a discussion about specific steps you can take to reach your career objectives.

1. What do you like most about your current job?

______

2. What do you like the least about your current job?

______

3. What skills does your current job require and what is your current skill level in these areas?

______

4. How does your role contribute to the institution’s success? What could you do to make a greater contribution?

______

5. Where do you see yourself professionally in the next 2 - 5 years?

______

6. How can your manager(s)/mentor(s) support you in achieving your career goals and overall job satisfaction?

______

7. What knowledge, skills or abilities do you need to help you perform better in your current role? ______

______

8. What knowledge, skills or abilities do you need to help you reach toward your longer-term development goals and/or career aspirations?

______

9. How can some of your development goals be translated into on-the-job stretch assignments?

______

10. How can you take more personal responsibility in reaching your career goals and aspirations?

______

11. What professional contributions and/or impact are you most interested in making? Why? ______

______

12. What do you consider to be your greatest professional strengths, particular gifts and unique talents? Are these being fully leveraged in your work?

______

13. What are you passionate about?

______

14. Additional comments:

______

______Congratulations on taking the time to think about your performance and career aspirations. We encourage you to continue to reference this form and amend it as needed to help you focus on your development priorities and to create meaningful development goals each performance cycle.